Process of bleaching tobacco-leaves.



UNITED ATE/S PATENT anion THEODOR OELENHEINZ, OF KARLSR UHE, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF BLEACHING TOBACCO-LEAVES.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial No. 730,808.

action of any usual bleaching means. All

tests have resulted that the fatty, resin-like and waxy substances and especially the pectin substances will cause such resistance. Bywholly or part1 eliminating said substances the ores oi the leaves are opened so that the atter can now be bleached or decolored in any desired degree.

According to the present invention the bleaching of the tobacco leaves is obtained by treating them with hot water for opening their pores and applying a suitable bleaching means thereafter.

The following has proved to be a particularly suitable manner of carrying out the process :-Tobacco leaves'of any qualit are treated with hot water having prefera ly a temperature of about 7 59 to 100 C. exceeding the temperature of fermentation so that all the bacteri are destroyed, and. some venting an additional injurious fermentation at a ate'r stage of the recess. This treatment may be suspende once or repeated. Hereafter bleaching means is added to the tobacco leaves stored in a suitable receptacle for which means I prefer peroxid of hydrogen and ammonia mixed with water. The treatment with said liquid or means may also be carried out simultaneously with that of hot water in which case the means is directly added to the hot water and the tobacco leaves are put into said mixture. But the latter treatment may also follow a preceding treatment of the tobacco leaves with pure hot water, whereafter the tobacco leaves are suitably cooled. In this case all fatty and resin-like substances are removed in advance from the surface of the leaves so that the pores thereof will suitably be opened for facilitating the following action of the bleaching liquid. Besides the nature and quality of the tobacco leaves are determining for the intensiveness of the treatment depending upon the duration of the process and the height of the applied temperatures.

Aprocess of bleaching tobacco leaves, consisting in treating the'tobacco leaves with hot water of about to C. for eliminating all fatty, resin-like and waxy substances closing the pores of the leaves,

in se arating the leaves from the water, and

in su ject-ing said cleaned leaves to the action of peroxid of hydrogen and ammon a mixed with water, substantially as herein described. L

In testimony whereof, I afliir my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODOR OELENHEINZf Witnesses 5 JOSEPH HEIFFER, LUIsn SQHEILER. 

